Washing machine



Sept. 8, 1936. Z K 2,053,932

WASHING MACHINE(FLUID PROJECTING MEANS) Filed Jul 5 1955 llll-HH IIIIJI IN V EN TOR. g; M WM m A TTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 8, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,053,932 I WASHING MACHINE (FLUID PBOJECTING MEANS) Application July 5, 1935, Serial No. 29,846

7 Claims.

Thic invention relates to washing machines of the type in which a perforated or reticulated clothes container, drum, or hydro-wheel is rotatably mounted usually on a horizontal extending axis, and has for its object a particularly simple and efficient construction by which the drum is rotatably supported and by which a fluid, as for instance, a rinsing fluid-can be projected in an axial direction into the drum from a point outside the drum without being passed through the axle of the drum, and also the relative arrangement of the axle, fluid projecting means, bearing for the axle and the drive for the axle, whereby the drum is firmly supported or journalled and the fluid projected axially into the drum, without passing through the journal shaft or axle, so that in addition to extreme simplicity in construction, all the leakage of the projected fluid takes place within the casing.

3 The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a rear perspective view, partly broken away, of a washing machine embodying my invention.

) Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary, sectional view taken axially through the casing, the drum and adjacent parts.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3, Figure 2.

; Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary, perspective view through the fluid projecting and distributing means, and the bearing for the axle or shaft of the drum, the contiguous parts of the drum and casing being shown.

i I designates the casing, which is cylindrical in general form with the axis'of the cylindrical formation usually extending horizontally. 2 is a clothes container, drum, or hydro-wheel, ro-

tatably mounted in the casing on a horizontal axis coincident with, or parallel to, the axis of the drum. The drum, or, at least the peripheral wall thereof, is perforated, as shown. The end walls or heads of the drum may or may not be perforated.

The casing I is mounted upon a suitable base 3 and the cylindrical portion of the casing continues down into the base 3 around the drum. The base 3 may enclose mechanism pertinent or accessory to the machine, as for instance, an

electric motor, motion transmitting means, controls, and timer mechanism, etc.

During the washing operation, the drum is oscillated or rotated a predetermined number of times, first in one direction, and then in the re- 5 verse direction, for the purpose of tumbling the clothes while sloshing them through a washing fluid filled to a predetermined level in the lower part of the casing I. During other operations, as for instance, an extracting operation, the drum may be rotated in one direction at extracting speed. The operation of the washer forms no part of this invention.

This invention relates primarily to means for projecting fluid into the drum or hydro-wheel without passing the fluid through the supporting or driving axle for the drum. The drum may have axles at both ends, but in some instances, the drum has an axle only at one end and a load- I ing door is at the other end of the drum. In

so far as this invention is concerned, it is immaterial whether the drum has an axle at one end or both ends.

The means by which a fluid, which is usually a rinsing fluid, is projected into the drum without being passed through the driving axle comprises a hollow member 4 mounted on the end or head 5 of the drum and having outlets directed into the drum and also inlets, and a stationary or fixed distributing chamber mounted on the end Wall of the casing I and surrounding the portion of the hollow member 4 in which the radial inlets are formed, this distributing chamber communicating with a supply of fluid.

The means for supporting the drum comprises a shaft or axle forming an axial extension of the member l and usually is formed integral therewith. The axle extends to the outside of the casing I and is journalled in a bearing supported by the-casing.

As here shown,'the hollow member 4 is discoidal in general form and has an outer rim portion 6 lying flatwise on the head 5 of the drum and an inner conoidal portion 1 having an axial portion 8. The conoidal and axial portions confine a projecting chamber 9 which communicates with the interior of the drum through outlets III formed in the end wall 5, these being here shown as arranged in an annular series concentric with the axis of the drum. The axial portion 8 extends into a suitable opening II in the'end wall of the casing I and an axle shaft I2 of less diameter than said axial portion 8 extends from the axial portion 8 and forms an axial extensionthereof outside the drum. The shaft or axle I2 is solid or has no passages communicating with the hollow member 4. The axial portion 8 is formed with radially extending inlets I3 located within the casing I.

I4 designates the distributing chamber or manifold mounted against rotation preferably on the inner side of the end wall of the casing I and surrounding the axial portion 8. The periphery of the axial portion 8 runs close to the edges of the walls of the chamber around the axial portion. The interior of the chamber I4 communicates through a suitable pipe IS with a supply of fluid. The chamber I4 is secured to the end wall of the casing I in any suitable manner, as by fastening members II, extending into the end wall of the casing I and through the flange I8 lying flatwise against the inner face of the end wall of the casin I.

20 designates the casing of the bearing in which the axle or shaft I2 is mounted, this being mounted on the outer face of the end wall of the casing I and secured thereto in any suitable manner, as by fastening members 2|, this casing having an opening at 22, the edge walls of which run close to the periphery of the axial portion 8 of the hol- 1 low member 4. Suitable antifriction journal and thrust bearings 23 are mounted in the casing, and packing washers 24 are located within the casing 20 between the antifriction bearings and the joint 22 between the casing 20 and the axial portion 8 of the hollow member 4. The drum is actuated by suitable motion transmitting means including a member, as a pulley 25, mounted on the outer end of the shaft or axle I2 and having its hub 26 abutting against the adjacent end wall of the bearing casing 20. The outer end wall 2'! of the casing 20 is detachably mounted on the body of the casing in order to permit the assembly and removal of the antifriction members and thewashers therein, and the hub 26 abuts against the removable wall 21.

In operation, a fluid, as for instance, a rinsing fluid can be projected into the drum or hydrowheel through the pipe I6, distributing chamber I4, inlets I3 of the axial portion 8 of the hollow member 4, into the chamber 9 of the hollow member 4 and through the outlets I0 into the path of the revolving or tumbling clothes therein.

In this construction, such leakage as may take place within the casing I and is inconsequential and the only point at which such leakage can take place is at II. Also, this construction eliminates the use of swivel joints outside of the casing I in the conduit system for the fluid, where the fluid is taken in axially through the shaft corresponding to the shaft I2.

What I claim is:-

1. In a washing machine including a casing and a drum rotatably mounted in the casing, the combination of a hollow member mounted on the end of the drum, a shaft rigid with and coaxial with said member, a bearing on the outside of the casing in which the shaft is mounted, the hollow member having fluid inlets, and outlets through the drum from the space enclosed by said member, a stationary distributing chamber having a fixed support with the casing and having means for connection to a supply of fluid, the distributing chamber surrounding the portion of the hollow member formed with the inlets and communicating with the hollow member through the inlets.

2. In a washing machine including a casing and a drum rotatably mounted in the casing, the combination of a hollow member mounted on the end low member formed with the inlets and com- I municating with the hollow member through the inlets, and means for actuating the shaft including an element mounted on the shaft outside the said bearing.

3. In a washing machine including a casing I and a drum rotatably mounted in the casing, the combination of a member mounted on one end of the drum and having a wall spaced from the end of the drum and a hollow axial portion connected to the wall and communicating with said space, said wall and axial portion confining a fluid projecting chamber, the end wall of the drum having outlet openings leading from said chamber into the drum and the axial portion having radial inlet passages, a distributing chamber mounted within the casing and having means for connection with a supply of fluid, the distributing chamber surrounding the axial portion and communicating with the inlets, the edge wall of the chamber around the axial portion slidably fitting the same, an axle extending coaxially from said axial portion, and a bearing on the outer side of the casing in which the axle is journalled.

4. In a washing machine including a casing and a drum rotatably mounted in the casing, the combination of a member mounted on one end of the drum and having a wall spaced from the end of the drum and a hollow axial portion connected to the wall and communicating with said space, said wall and axial portion confining a fluid projecting chamber, the end wall of the drum having outlet openings leading from said chamber into the drum and the axial portion having radial inlet passages, a distributing chamber mounted within the casing on the end wall thereof and having means for connection with'a" supply of fluid, the distributing chamber surrounding the axial portion and communicating with the inlets, the edge wall of the chamber around the axial portion slidably fitting the same and an axle extending coaxially from said axial portion, and abearing on the outer side of the casing in which the axle is journalled, and means connected to the outer end of the axle for rotating the drum.

5. In a washing machine including a casing and a drum rotatably mounted in the casing, the combination of a member mounted on the end of the drum and having an annular rim portion lying flatwise on the end of the drum, an intermediate conical portion spaced apart from the end wall of the drum and a hollow. axial portion communicating with the conical portion, the conical portion and the hollow axial portion confining a fluid projecting chamber and the end wall of the drum having fluid outlets leading from the conical portion into the interior of the drum, the axial portion having radially extending inlets, a distributing chamber mounted fixedly in the casing and surrounding the axial portion, whereby the distributing chamber communicates with the inlets, a fluid supply pipe connected to the distributing chamber eccentric to the axial portion, a shaft forming a continuation of the axial portion, said shait extending to the outside of the casing, a bearing mounted on the outside of the casing in which the shaftis Journailed, said bearing coacting with the end of the axial portion to hold the shaft from axial movement in one direction, and a motion transmitting member mounted on the outer end of the shaft adjacent the bearing and coacting with the bearing to hold the shaft from axial movement in the opposite direction.

6. In a washing machine including a casing and a drum rotatably mounted in the casing, the combination of a hollow member mounted on one end of the drum and having a wall secured to the drum and having a portion spaced apart from the end wall of the drum and formed with a hollow axial portion, said hollow member enclosing a chamber, said chamber communicating with the drum through openings in the end wall of the drum and the axial portion having radially extending inlets, a shaft constituting an axial extension of the axial portion and formed integral therewith, a distributing chamber mounted in the casing, fixed from rotatable movement with the drum, surrounding the axial portion of the hollow member and communicating with the radial inlets, said distributing chamber having an inlet for a fluid located eccentric with the axial portion, and a bearing on the outer side of the casing in which the shaft is journalled.

7. In a washing machine including a casing and a drum rotatably mounted in the casing, the

combination of a hollow member mounted on one end of the drum and having a wall secured to the drum and having a portion spaced apart from the end wall of the drum and formed with a hollow axial portion, said hollow member en- 10 closing a chamber, said chamber communicating with the drum through openings in the end wall of the drum and the axial portion having radially extending inlets, a shaft constituting an axial extension of the axial portion and formed 15 integrals therewith, a distributing chamber mounted within the casing, fixed from movement with the drum surrounding the axial portion of the hollow member and communicating with the radial inlets, said distributing chamber having 20 

